Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGRODND ~F THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a production plant for
rolling hot strip from slabs produced by continuous casting,
wherein a shearing machine is arranged following a continuous
casting plant of the casting machine and in front of an equalizing
furnace, and an additional shearing machine and a descaling unit
are arranged following the equalizing furnace and in front of a
rolling mill, and wherein a heating or cooling unit and a strip
reeling unit of coiling machine are arranged following the rolling
mill.
2. Description of the Related Art
Rolling plants for producing hot-rolled strips are generally
constructed and operated today in such a way that the deformation
in the individual stands takes place austenitically; this means
that it is ensured that the rolling temperatures in the individual
roll stands are above the GOS line (A, line) of the iron/carbon
diagram. Cooling to reeling temperature with a structure
transformation in the cooling stretch or in the wound-up coil takes
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place only after the last pass which, for obtaining a fine-grained
final structure, should be as close as possible to the GOS line.
In the case of steels having a carbon content of less than
0.2%, for rolling in accordance with the above-described method,
the final rolling temperature, i.e., the temperature in the last
- roll stand of the rolling train, is 840° to 920°C, depending
on the
carbon content. The final rolling temperature is maintained by
selecting the final rolling speed.
This method can be used without problems for strip thicknesses
above a minimum strip thickness, which, depending on the type of
rolling train, is in the order of magnitude of 1.3 mm. However, if
the strip thickness drops below this minimum thickness, the
required rolling speed reaches values above 12 m/sec; this speed is
so high that, in the case of discontinuous operation, the strip can
no longer be handled at the free runout on the roller table
following the rolling train.
In spite of the problems discussed above, the tendency is to
develop smaller final thicknesses; this means that the tendency was
to reduce the final rolling temperature in order to facilitate
slower rolling speeds. These rolling processes have become known
under the name ferritic rolling because they take place at
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temperatures below the GOS line, i.e., in the range of the alpha,
gamma mixed crystals or below the GPS line (border line of
homogenous ferritic crystals) in the ferritic range.
In accordance with a preferred method, a break-down rolling is
carried out in the austenitic range to an intermediate thickness of
- below 15 mm and finish rolling is carried out in the ferritic range
to the smallest final thicknesses below 1.3 mm. Between these two
process stages, the rolling stock must be cooled from the final
rolling temperature in the austenitic range to the rolling
temperature in the ferritic range. This means a cooling from the
temperature range of 840°C to 920°C to the temperature range of
600°C to 780°C.
The final rolling temperature following the second deforming
stage is also in the range of 600° to 780°C and, thus, in an
order
of magnitude in which a recrystallization of the structure occurs
after reeling in the wound-up coil. A structure is produced which
facilitates the use of the product without further cold deformation
or heat treatment.
An essential requirement for a good result is that a minimum
cooling time is maintained for cooling from the austenitic range
into the ferritic range. This minimum cooling time must be
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CA 02188525 2004-12-08
maintained in order to make it possible that the transformation
from austenite to ferrite can take place to a sufficient extent.
The realization of the above-described process is very
difficult in a conventional rolling train for hot-rolled wide
strip. The transformation from the austenitic range into the
ferritic range should be carried out in the thickness range of
below l5mm, i.e., in a thickness range in which the rolling stock
is approximately in the middle of a conventional finishing train.
Since the travel time of the strip from one stand to the next stand
in the middle of the finishing train takes only a few seconds, it
is possible in principle to realize this cooling, however, it is
not possible to realize the time required for the transformation.
Accordingly, in a conventional rolling train for rolling hot-rolled
wide strip, it is not possible to carry out ferritic rolling in
accordance with the above-described method.
To make it possible that a selectable portion of the
reduction of the strip can take place in the ferritic range with
a desired limitation of the run-out speed, a production plant has
been previously proposed in which at least the first roll stand
of the rolling train is a reversing stand, at least one reeling
furnace each is arranged in front of and following the reversing
stand, and a controllable cooling unit is provided
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between the reversing stand and the reeling furnace in front of the
reversing stand.
This production plant can be operated in the austenitic range
as is the case in conventional plants. For this purpose, the
rolling stock supplied from a roughing train or a thin slab casting
- machine, which usually has a thickness of about 50 mm, is heated in
a furnace to about 1100°C and is rolled in the reversing train or
Steckel train composed of one or more stands by adjusting one or
more stands of the train; subsequently, the rolling stock is wound
in the Steckel furnace or reeling furnace following the Steckel
train. After reversing the Steckel train, the strip is pulled from
the Steckel furnace and is rolled down to a thickness of about
mm in one or more stands of the Steckel train and is
subsequently wound up in the Steckel furnace on the entry side. At
this point, the temperature of the strip is still above 850°C. The
strip is now unwound from the Steckel furnace on the entry side and
is rolled down to a thickness of about lmm in the Steckel stands
and in the remainder of the rolling train, and the strip is coiled
by the coiling machine.
It is also possible to arrange a cooling unit in front of the
point where the rolled strip is wound up in the Steckel furnace on
the entry side, wherein the cooling unit cools the strip having a
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thickness of about 10 mm to temperatures below 850°C. After the
ferritic transformation, the strip can be rolled down in the
Steckel train and in the remainder of the rolling train into a
strip having a thickness of about lmm, wherein this strip can then
be used without any further cold deformation or heat treatment.
- The rolling of hot strip products on Steckel trains with
reversing operation and corresponding Steckel furnaces or reeling
furnaces poses no problem.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide
a production plant for continuously or discontinuously rolling hot
strip having an austenitic and/or ferritic structure.
In accordance with the present invention, this object is met
by using as a first roll stand group a continuously operating
rolling train composed of several four-high stands, for example,
five four-high stands; individual heating devices are provided
also between the successive four-high stands of this group of roll
stands; in addition, the reeling unit or the reeling machine is
configured as a double reeling machine.
This configuration of the plant makes it possible to fully
continuously produce hot strip with austenitic structure and a
thickness of about 2.5 mm - 12 mm.
In accordance with a further development of the invention, an
additional or second continuously or discontinuously operating
rolling train composed of several finishing stands, for example,
three finishing stands, is arranged following the first group of
roll stands or the cooling unit or heating unit thereof, wherein an
individual heating unit or cooling unit each may be provided
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between successive finishing stands, and wherein another shearing
machine and a second double reeling machine are arranged following
this second group of roll stands.
The hot strip arriving from the first group of stands can be
rolled fully continuously in this second group of stands to a
thickness of between 0.5 mm and 2.0 mm with an austenitic and/or
ferritic structure. This is because it is possible to adjust to
the correct temperature the hot strip by means of the cooling and
heating units between the two groups of stands and possibly also
the treatment units between the stands of the second group of roll
stands.
Another further development of the present invention provides
that a roller table section with laminar cooling is arranged
following the second group of roll stands, i.e., following the
second double reeling machine. A shearing machine and a third
double reeling machine are again arranged following the roller
table section.
In accordance with the invention, this third plant component
makes it possible that hot strip can be fully continuously rolled
by means of the two groups of roll stands with an austenitic
structure and a thickness of greater than lmm. This is possible
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because an additional heat supply is carried out between the two
groups of roll stands and possibly additionally also between the
stands of the first and second groups of roll stands.
During continuous operation, the shearing machines in front of
and following the equalizing furnace are only used when a problem
occurs in any of the groups of the roll stands of the rolling
train. On the other hand, the other shearing machines provided in
the rolling train interact in a continuous operation only with the
double reeling machines arranged immediately following the
respective shearing machine.
Another important further development of the invention
provides that both groups of roll stands of the rolling train each
contain a number of individual stands which is greater by at least
one than the number of stands absolutely required for the maximum
deformation work to be performed. This makes it possible in an
advantageous manner to carry out in-line maintenance work on any
roll stand of the groups of roll stands, for example, a change of
work rolls, while the remaining roll stands continue to carry out
the deformation work in a fully continuous operation.
Advantageously, a casting machine which can be operated with a
casting speed of between 3 m/min and 18 m/min is arranged in front
of the two groups of roll stands. .
CA 02188525 2002-05-28
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention resides
in a production plant for rolling hot atrip from slabs produced
by continuous casting, the production plant including a
shearing machine in a strip travel direction following a
continuous casting plant or a casting machine and in front of
an equalizing furnace, an additional shearing machine and a
descaling unit following the equalizing furnace and in front of
a continuously operating rolling mill, and a heating or cooling
unit and a strip reeling unit of a coiling machine following
the rolling mill, the improvement comprising the rolling mill
comprising a plurality of four-high stands as a first roll
stand group, additional individual heating devices between the
four-high stands of the first roll stand group, wherein the
strip reeling unit is comprised of a double reeling machine.
In another aspect, the present invention resides in a
production plant for rolling hot strip from slabs produced by
continuous casting, the production pl<~nt including a shearing
machine in a strip travel direction following a continuous
casting plant or a casting machine' and in front of an
equalizing furnace, an additional shearing machine and a
descaling unit following the equalizing furnace and in front of
a continuously operating rolling mill, and a heating or cooling
unit and a strip reeling unit of a coiling machine following
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CA 02188525 2006-02-08
the rolling mill, the rolling mill comprising a plurality of
four-high stands as a first roll stand group, additional
individual heating devices between the four-high stands of the
first roll stand group, wherein the strip reeling unit is
comprised of a double reeling machine, further comprising a
second roll stand group in the form of a continuously or
discontinuously operating rolling train and comprising a
plurality of four-high finishing stands, the second roll stand
group following one of the first roll stand group and the
heating or cooling unit thereof, further individual heating or
cooling units in the second roll stand group, further
comprising an additional shearing machine and a second double
reeling unit following the second roll stand group.
In a further aspect, the present invention resides in a
production plant for rolling hot strip from slabs produced by
continuous casting equipment, the production plant comprising
an equalization furnace located downstream of the continuous
casting equipment, a first cutter arranged between the
continuous casting equipment and the equalization furnace, a
plurality of devices selected from the group consisting of
heating devices and cooling devices, and three successive plant
sections provided downstream of the equalization furnace: a
first one of said plant sections comprising, a first roll stand
group consisting of five or more four-high roll stands, with at
least one of said plurality of devices arranged between each of
said four-high roll stands, descaling devices located upstream
of the first roll stand group, a second cutter arranged between
the equalization furnace and the descaling devices, a heating
and cooling unit arranged downstream of the first roll stand
group, a first strip winding device arranged downstream of the
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CA 02188525 2006-02-08
heating and cooling unit in which a supplied roll strip with
austenitic structure is rolled to a thickness of about 2.5 mm,
and a third cutter arranged between the heating and cooling
unit and the first strip winding device; a second one of said
plant sections comprising a second roll stand group consisting
of three or more finishing roll stands, with at least one of
said plurality of devices arranged between each of said
finishing roll stands, a second strip winding device located
downstream of the second roll stand group in which said roll
strip continuously fed from said first roll stand group is
rolled into a roll strip with austenitic or ferrite structure
and a thickness of between 0.5 and 2.0 mm, and a fourth cutter
arranged between the second roll stand group and the second
strip winding device; and the third other one of said plant
sections comprising a roller path, a laminar cooling device, a
third strip winding device located downstream of the laminar
cooling unit in which the roll strip continuously fed from said
second roll stand group is divided and wound up as a roll strip
with austenitic structure, and a fifth cutter arranged between
the laminar cooling unit and the third strip winding device.
The various features of novelty which characterize the
invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims
llb
CA 02188525 2002-05-28
annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better
understanding of the invention, its operating advantages,
specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had
to the drawing and descriptive manner in which there are
illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the
invention. -
llc
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
In the drawing:
The single figure of the drawing is a schematic view of a
production plant according to the present invention for
continuously or discontinuously rolling hot strip with austenitic
and/or ferritic structure.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The production plant shown in the drawing includes as a
continuous casting plant a casting machine 1 which is designed for
a casting speed of about 3 m/min to 18 m/min. This casting machine
1 is followed by an equalizing furnace 2 which may operate with
material management. A shearing machine 3 each is arranged in
front of and behind the equalizing furnace 2. These two shearing
machines 3 are used during the continuous operation only when a
problem occurs in the rolling train following the equalizing
furnace 2.
In the rolling train already mentioned above, a descaling unit
7 is arranged between the equalizing furnace 2 and a first roll
stand group 4 for roughing-down rolling of the slabs 5.
The first roll stand group 4 includes a plurality, for
example, five, four-high stands 6 which are constructed for a
continuous rolling operation.
A heating unit 8 may be arranged between two successive four-
high stands 6 of the roll stand group 4. In the illustrated
embodiment, four heating units 8 are arranged between the five
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four-high stands 6 in order to maintain the strip subjected to
rolling at the correct rolling temperature.
However, it should also be mentioned at this point that, for
a manner of operation to be described later, a cooling unit each
may be provided instead of or in addition to the afore-mentioned
individual heating units 8.
A heating unit or a cooling unit 9 is arranged following the
first roll stand group 4 and a shearing machine 10 follows the roll
stand group 4.
Finally, a double reeling unit 11 is provided following the
shearing machine 10. The double reeling unit 11 forms the end of
a first plant component of the production plant. This first plant
component of the production plant is capable of fully continuously
rolling hot strip 5' with austenitic structure and a thickness of
more than about 2.5 mm.
The first plant component described above is followed by a
second plant component. This second plant component includes a
second roll stand group 12 with a plurality, for example, three,
four-high finishing stands 13, wherein individual heating units or
cooling units 14 are provided between two successive finishing
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stands 13; in the illustrated embodiment, two heating units or
cooling units 14 are provided.
Following the second roll stand group 12 with four-high
finishing stands 13 and heating and cooling units 14 is arranged a
shearing machine 15 for cutting the strip during continuous
operation and the end of the second plant component is again formed
by a double reeling unit 16.
The second plant component is capable of fully continuously
rolling hot strip 5 " with an austenitic and/or ferritic structure
and a thickness of between 0.5 mm and 2.0 mm. In order to achieve
this, it is necessary that the hot strip 5' which arrives from the
first plant component and travels through the open shearing machine
and through the double reeling unit 11 is acted upon by the
cooling and heating unit 9 between the first roll stand group 4 and
the second roll stand group 12 and possibly also by the cooling and
heating units 14 between the four-high finishing stands 13 of the
second roll stand group 12, so that the strip is rolled in the
correct structure range.
The hot strip 5 " having an austenitic or ferritic structure
is received by the double reeling unit 16 and is divided by the
shearing machine 15.
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The second plant component of the production plant is followed
by a third plant component. This third plant component includes a
roller table section 17 and a laminar cooling unit 18 which follow
the second roll stand group 12 behind the double reeling unit 16.
The laminar cooling unit 18 is followed by a shearing machine
19 and the shearing machine 19, in turn, is followed by a double
reeling unit 20.
The third plant component is capable of fully continuously
producing hot strip 5 " ' with an austenitic structure and a
thickness of greater than 2 mm. For this purpose, the strip is
rolled continuously in the first roll stand group 4 and
continuously in the second roll stand group 12.
When all three plant components of the production plant are in
operation, the thin slabs 5 delivered from the thin slab casting
machine 1 travel continuously through the entire plant and the
finished hot strip 5 " ' is received by the double reeling unit 20;
in that case, only the shearing machine 19 is in operation, while
all other shearing machines 3, 10 and 15 are not in operation and
are in the open position.
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Finally, in order to be complete, it is pointed out that it is
advantageous to select the number of individual stands 6 and 13,
respectively, in the first stand group 4 as well as in the second
roll stand group 12, in such a way that it exceeds by one the
number of stands required for carrying out the deformation work in
the respective roll stand group 4 or 12. This makes it especially
possible to perform maintainance in-line on any one of the four-
high stands 6 or four-high finishing stands 13, for example, for
exchanging the work rolls, while the remaining four-high stands 6
or four-high finishing stands 13 carry out the deformation work in
a fully continuous operation.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown
and described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it
will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise
without departing from such principles.
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